Chapter XXII + Presents from one, dates with another…





The next morning Lily woke up, feeling groggy.

She stretched her arms and legs, but her fist hit something soft.

"FLOWERS?" Lily screeched, looking at the bouquet of red and white roses on her table.

"OH MY GOD! Lily, WHO are those flowers FROM?" Elle, one of her snobby and annoying roommates squealed.

"I don't know." Lily muttered. There was a card attached to it, and Lily was about to open it.

"Well, open the card!" Christina, Elle's friend, urged.

"That's what I am doing." Lily said sarcastically. "You halfwit." Lily muttered.

"So? Who is it from?" Elle asked excitedly.



Dear Lily,

I still don't understand why you're denying all this.

With love,

… (You know)



"Ooh! You know who it is, Lily?" Christina asked.

"No." Lily answered. 'There is no way I am going to tell them who it's from.'

"What's with all this noise?" Alison grumbled. "Some are trying to sleep!"

"Lily's got flowers!" Elle squealed. "It's SO romantic. A secret admirer."

"Oh." Alison replied, going back to sleep.

There was a tapping noise coming from the window, and Lily opened the window to let a school owl fly in, bringing candies.

"Oh my god, Lily! You've got more!!" Christina squealed. "I bet it's from Bowler, I know it is!!"

"I certainly hope not." Lily muttered. She found the card and read it quickly.



From,





"It's your secret admirer again, isn't it?" Elle shrieked. "Ooh, I agree with Christina! I bet it's Bowler!"

"*Sigh* Lily, you lucky girl!! Todd Bowler is SOOO HOT!" Christina sighed.

"I know!! Oh my god, and he is so sweet!" Elle gushed. "I wished Dennis could do get me these things!"

Dennis, as in Dennis Harvey, was Elle's current boyfriend, which only dated her for her erm, easiness.

"It's not Bowler." Lily sighed. "And if you think Bowler's so hot and sweet why don't you date him?"

"But, He wants you!!" Christina said.

"Whatever. I'm taking a shower." Lily said. "Elle, you are on a diet. Don't touch the chocolates."

"Fine." Elle muttered.



***



"Did you get my present?" James whispered into Lily's ear as he slipped in next to her in the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Yes, I did." Lily answered.

"Well, there's more to come." James grinned.

Lily just ate her oatmeal in silence. Everything James said she answered with a simple nod.

A loud hoot could be heard and the owls began flying into the Great Hall.

After a while, one owl dropped something on Lily's lap. It was a squared wrapped box.

"Open it." James whispered.

Lily reluctantly ripped the wrapping paper. Inside was a velvet blue box, and as she opened the box, it revealed a gorgeous white gold necklace.

"I know it will look good on you." James whispered. "Heck, everything looks good on you."

Lily just stared at the necklace in disbelief.

"Take it. I don't want it." Lily said, shoving the box into James's hands. She got out of her seat and walked out of the great hall, leaving James in despair.



***



"Why isn't it Miss Gryffindor of the year." Someone snarled behind Maria's back as she walked alone to the Charms classroom.

"Excuse me?" Maria said, turning her body. There she met up with Severus Snape and his malicious sneer.

"How have you been doing, Miss Gryffindor?" He smirked, leaning against a walk. "Those Gryffindors treating you well?"

"Yes, they are." Maria said snootily. "In fact, way better than how you and your friends used to treat me."

Snape glared. "You didn't belong with us Slytherins."

"And I'm glad I don't." Maria said coolly, walking away.

"Don't just think you can walk away, White." Snape called out after her.

"Well, I can, and I am." Maria called out.

"B$%#…" Snape muttered.



***

"Hey Lily." Todd Bowler greeted. Lily was sitting in the great hall before lunch.

"Hello." Lily answered, rather obliviously to him.

"Listen, I was wondering…" He started. "Would you like to go out with me again on Friday?"

"Um, I've got a DADA Project." Lily answered. "My partner and I will have to meet up this weekend to talk it over. I'm sorry."

"How bout after that?" Todd said hopefully. "Come on Lily?"

"Uh…" Lily sighed. "I promised to tutor a 3rd year."

"Okay, how bout on Saturday then?"

"Hm…" Lily began. 'S#$@, he's not giving up. Fine, I'll give him one measly date.' "Alright."

"That's great." Todd cried happily. He made a movement to kiss Lily's cheek, but quickly pulled away as he saw the warning glare she had gave him. "I'll see you around."

"Bye," Lily said shortly, continuing doing whatever she was doing.

"Hey Lils." Sirius greeted. He just came into the great hall with Peter. "How's life?"

"Alright, I suppose." Lily answered. "Rather boring."

"It's because you miss your friends. So, take an advice from a man who knows everything, TALK TO THEM." Sirius said knowingly.

"Sirius," Lily began. "First of all, you are NOT the man who knows everything. More like the man who knows nothing."

"Right," Sirius nodded. "Continue."

"Second," Lily huffed. "I do not miss my friends, I can't even CALL them friends anymore, after what they had done."

"Lily, Maria didn't do anything!! And Alison didn't mean it, really." Sirius said. "You should TALK to them."

"No." Lily said stubbornly. "Drop the subject about them, okay?"

"Fine." Sirius answered.

"Anyway, I have a date with Todd Bowler this Saturday." Lily sighed.

"What? You like that git? Are you two, you know, steady?"

"NO!! I DON'T! I DON'T! I DON'T! I DON'T!" Lily cried. "And we are not going 'steady'! I'd rather DIE!!"

"You sure, cause, he ain't all that bad looking." Sirius remarked, looking at Todd at the Ravenclaw table. (A/N: EW! NO WAY SIRIUS!!)

"SIRIUS! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT!!" Lily cried.

"Don't worry, I was just kidding you." Sirius answered. "Why don't you like the guy though? I heard many girls are crazy for him. But more are crazy for me."

"Right." Lily said, rolling her eyes. "He's just… I don't know. Kinda creepy, I guess. On the first date he was trying to, uh, kiss me, but I dodged it, and I think he got kinda mad."

"Who wouldn't be able to resist Miss Lillian Aulia Evans?"

"Sock it, Sirius. Anyway, then I always have a feeling that he's looking at me-almost stalking me sometimes." Lily shuddered. "He's so… creepy."

"Okay. Enough about Bowler, I'm almost puking hearing about him." Sirius commented. "Where is lunch anyway? I'm so hungry I can eat a cow!"

"You are always hungry, Si. And, logically, you always eat a cow, beef IS from a cow remember?"

"Okay then, I'm so hungry, I could eat SNAPE!"

"A bit too extreme."

And so lunch came and went, with Sirius and Peter sitting next to Lily in the middle, Remus and Alison on the other corner of the table, and Maria with some 5th years on the other corner.

They were having dessert, peach cobbler, Sirius's favorite. (Actually, Sirius loves anything edible) Lily didn't feel like eating dessert, so she got out of the Hall and went to the library, leaving Sirius (and Peter) with their peach clobber, and leaving Maria and Alison with their fight.

"WHEZ JAMSHEZ?" Sirius said, mouth full with food. (Translation: Where's James?")

"AIF DUNNO. MABE WIF A GUH." Peter answered. (Translation: I dunno. Maybe with a girl)

"OUH… HIR HE COMEZ." Sirius said, pointing to the direction James was coming from. (Translation: Oh, Here he comes)

As James started to walk to the Gryffindor table, he had to pass the Hufflepuff table. Tina Mclain had practically jumped on him, causing him to push her off and continue to walk to the table.

"Funny. I thought James liked her." Sirius said. Peter shook his head. "NO, he didn't."

"Hey people." James said, sitting down in Lily's empty seat.

"You only get dessert." Sirius said. "Of course you can nick some food later in the kitchens. But it isn't like you to miss a meal."

"Yeah well, I was doing stuff…"

"Oh, what kind of stuff?"

"Uh," James said, biting his lower lip. "Thinking."

"Really? About what, a girl?" Sirius said excitedly. "Who is it now, Jamsie?"

"Shut up, Siri.. I wasn't thinking about a girl.' James said haughtily.

"OKAY2." Sirius said. "By the way, you're sitting in Lily's seat."

"SO?" James said in a superior voice.

"Ooh yeah! I've got new, hot, juicy gossip, fresh from the oven…" Sirius said excitedly.

"You sound just as bad as the Hufflepuff girls."

"Hey, I date 'em, couldn't blame me if they rubbed on me." Sirius protested. "Anyway- yeah, gossip. Lily beans scored another date with Bowler."

That caused James to spit out his food.

"Pardon?" James croaked. "I believe I had heard wrong."

"Nope. Bowler begged her for another date, I say. Lily thinks he's creepy."

"Oh." James answered. "Why Bowler, of all people? Why couldn't she say no?"

"He begged her, on his knees, probably. Since when do you care who she dates?"

"I never did." James answered.

"UH huh…" Sirius said, not looking quite convinced.



***

(A/N: Hah, my internet's messed up again (hehe…I use it too much!) and it's coming back on the 15th… (yes, just like last month) which is… another 8 days… (whoa, I don't know if I could survive… can you?) I'm probably going to make my friend Ld VLd (a.k.a Maria White!) update this for me… hehe… yes, she will do it for me… AND… guess what, ladies and gentlemen! I'm at home, alone, on a Friday, internet-less, with the cold, writing this note to all you people!! Haha! How sad could I get? (just kidding, I love writing, but I'm sick now and internet-less, now that's very depressing for me!)

^*^Okay, is James SERIOUS about this? Well, only one-way to find out. I know you lot are still wondering what the fight is about… I promise, it will be revealed… later on! And about Maria and Sirius, uhh… do you guys really think they should hook up? Hehe! Okay! Thanks for reading, now you've gotta REVIEW!!)